Home & Family
by Bojack727
Summary: After 3 yrs, the Reapers have been defeated. Shepard and Garrus are on Earth, helping with the rebuilding, when Shep gets a message from her mom, who wants to meet her "boyfriend". Jane hasn't had a chance to tell her he's a Turian! And they haven't even gone to Palaven yet to meet Garrus' family! Plenty of Shakarian fluff and humor as the two go to meet their future in-laws.
1. Prologue: The Crucible

I wrote this as a prologue to the real story, and I've already written the first chapter, so I'll probably post it when I'm done writing chapter two. This is a reinterpretation of the crappy ending of the third game, and it's based in part on the fan-created ending. It's amazing how something created by a fan, cobbled together through editing (and the use of previously unrelated scenes, and amateur voice acting) is so much better than the dreck presented to us by the actual game makers...

* * *

**MASS EFFECT  
HOME AND FAMILY**

_**"The Crucible" **_

Shepard made her way into the dark halls of the devastated innards of the Citadel. Everywhere, signs of death and destruction littered the area. Everything was in decay, heavy with the sour odor of blood and burnt-out machinery. Shepard felt horrible at the moment, though she wondered how much of the pain was being blocked by the numbness from her injuries...

When she finally arrived at some kind of control room, and the atmosphere suddenly felt heavy around Shepard as stepped over the threshold. The Commander saw Anderson, standing in the middle of the illuminated chamber, stiff and awkward, clearly held by some unseen power.

"Shepard..." He managed to say, a tremble in his deep voice. The Admiral looked like hell, battered and bloody, as bad as she felt at the moment.

"...Anderson?" She countered after a moment, even more confused.

"_Ah, so good of you to join us, Commander."_ A familiar voice began.

Shepard turned to see the Illusive Man approaching them. It took a moment, in her current stat, but she realized he looked like a Husk. It was as if his eyes were the source of the corruption- sprouting out and burning away at the flesh, like the strands of a spider's web. Dark lines, interspersed with bits of visible glowing technology, scarred the sides of his face- across his cheeks and his lower jaw and mouth- and down his neck and chest, until they vanished under his wrinkled shirt and suit jacket.

He smiled at her, which only made the effect even more macabre- lines forming in his weathered skin as his cheeks pulled tight, his lips curving into an unnatural rictus grin. Suddenly, it wasn't just a Husk that he reminded her of, with his gray skin and wrinkled clothes... It was as if he'd died and come back to life a day later, with the intricacies of the body all wrong from disuse.

"I underestimated you, Shepard... But no longer." He began. "It's over, I won't allow you to endanger everything that I've worked so hard to realize." He continued. "It's amazing, there's power in this place, power enough to control even the Reapers!" The man exclaimed. "You can feel it too, can't you?"

Shepard strained under the oppressive atmosphere. "If you're so damn powerful... then why haven't you killed us already and gotten on with whatever the hell it is your planning?"

"Because I need you to understand." The Illusive Man replied, smirking. "Of all the people, Shepard, you should appreciate what I'm doing here." He explained. "Even with all the implants it took to bring you back, you're still too... _human_ to appreciate it." He continued. "Before we started Project Lazarus, we didn't know if we could safely integrate Reaper tech into a human without compromising them..."

"After all we'd learned, there were still risks..." He paused. "Even Kai Leng wasn't a total success... I'd had such high hopes for him, but he was already showing early signs of deterioration. He was eager and driven, but he didn't have the will of a leader- like you and I- to resist the effects."

"You let yourself be compromised, just like Saren..." Shepard countered. "Once you open yourself to them in any way, you belong to the Reapers."

"No, I'm nothing like Saren... He _chose_ to serve them." The Illusive Man replied. "My mind remains my own... I told you that Cerberus was more than just an organization, it's an idea... And so the _idea_ of Cerberus lives on all of us who serve Humanity."

"Bullshit! Don't listen to him!" Anderson exclaimed.

The Illusive Man turned to him with a scornful look. "And just who _should_ she listen to then, you?" He asked him in a low tone. "You're nothing more than a burnt out soldier, set in his ways, only able to see things from down the barrel of a gun." He commented in a mocking tone. "No, this is about power... Power to change the destiny of humanity."

"And you'd risk all of humanity for the sake of a theory?" Shepard asked.

"When Humanity first discovered Prothian technology on Mars, there were those who scared of it, who wanted to destroy it." The Illusive Man replied. "And look at us now, using that technology advanced the human race by decades..." He continued. "And now, through the use of the Reapers, Humanity will emerge as the unchallenged power of the Galaxy!"

"Look at you, you're indoctrinated!" Anderson snapped angrily. "How many humans have died because of you- thousands, millions?" He asked with effort. "You're lying to yourself!"

"I'm the one in control, not the Reapers, I _will_ control them!"

"You've betrayed humanity, for your own selfish ambitions, and now you're about to doom the entire human race to extinction!" Anderson declared.

"Shut up!"

"Maybe, if you're lucky, the next cycle will talk about you... About the man who doomed all of galactic civilization to destruction because of his own ego!" Anderson mocked, his voice horse.

"Enough!" The Illusive Man bellowed, grabbing the sides of his head as he angrily repeated the word again and again, as if chanting to himself. "No! No! I- I'm the one in control! I've sacrificed everything to get to this point, and I won't let _anyone_ stop me!"

He turned to Shepard, seething, and the injured woman felt her arm gripped by an unseen force, aiming her pistol at Anderson, then as her finger was forced around the trigger and pulled it.

*BANG!*

Anderson grunted in pain, staggered, and fell to the floor as the force controlling Shepard began to ebb and recede. She watched helplessly, devastated as the Illusive man knelt down and retrieved Anderson's sidearm and turned to glare at Shepard. "Now Commander... It's just the two of us. I had to silence your friend, but I hope I don't have to do the same thing to you."

Shepard exhaled. "You're pathetic... You've destroyed more human lives than any alien ever has, you destroyed the organization you built, and you destroyed everything that makes you human... And what do you have to show for it- nothing." She rasped. "It's over, you've failed... And now, the human race is going to pay for your failure." She finished, tiredly.

"No, you're wrong- you're the failure!" He countered angrily, becoming unfocused as he descended into an angry rant. "You're nothing but an insig-"

*BANG!*

The Illusive Man staggered back, hunched over and gasping, black oily "blood" seeping from the bullet wound in his chest. Shepard advanced, a grim look on her face- their eyes meeting for an instant as he looked up to her- as she pulled the trigger again.

*BANG!*

The second shot hit the man dead center- knocking him down and reducing him to a crumpled heap on the floor. Shepard appeared over him, as he reached up, his outstretched hand trembling. "No... It can't end, not like this..." He gasped out, his glowing eyes flickering. "Humanity, it needs..."

She placed her boot on his chest. "No, it doesn't." Shepard interrupted. "It's over- you're finished, and Cerberus dies with you." She added, pointing the gun down at him. "Cerberus is _not_ Humanity... Just as Mankind doesn't need a 'watchdog'... We forge our own path."

*BANG!*

The shot pierced his heart, more of the black blood spilling out and staining his shirt a dark gray color as he gasped for breath. "You'll never understand... The Galaxy doesn't exist to be ruled over, its there to be explored and learned from... by all races, all living things." Shepard lamented.

His eyes dimmed and his body went slack. Shepard lowered the pistol and tossed it aside, then turned to look at the glowing control panel situated at the head of the room. She closed her eyes, struggling to stay upright and alert as she made her way over the controls.

Shepard leaned over the control panel, shaking her head and blinking her eyes, trying to focus.

"_Commander, do you read me?" _Hackett's voice crackled over the intercom._ "Come in, Shepard, the Crucible isn't doing anything. Everything's ground to a halt."_

She snapped to attention, just as the transmission faded. "No, dammit Jane, you've come to far to crap out in the final moment." Shepard reprimanded herself. "I made a promise... I just hafta finish up here and then... Then I can settle down a nice beach somewhere... and live off the royalties from the vids."

The redhead smirked, a faint chuckle escaping her lips. Just then, everything around seemed to come to life as massive panels opened up, the circular chamber vanishing to reveal a sprawling, cathedral-like center around her. As Shepard turned around, trying to take in the change in her surroundings, a small, ghost-like form appeared before her...

"What... _the fuck?"_

**(- _End of Prologue_ -)**

* * *

As stated in the opening comments, this is only the prologue to a larger story. I'll get into the details more in the next chapter- about why I did this- but for now, I hope you guys will stick around for the real first chapter- when thing really start moving.


	2. Chapter 01: The Shepards, Pt 1

I want to thank Someone Else Took My Name for their review. And I hope you guys enjoy this first chapter

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**MASS EFFECT  
HOME AND FAMILY**

**Chapter 01:  
_"The Shepards, Pt 1"_**

Against all odds, they'd stopped the Reapers and broken the cycle of extinction. Once again, they had done the impossible- rallied the races under a common cause, after centuries of conflict and infighting, and saved the entire galaxy... But then, achieving that which so many others would deem impossible had somehow become their stock and trade over the years.

And always at the core of these endeavors, was Commander Jane Shepard: decorated for her valor at the Skyllian Blitz, the first human to become a Spectre, the hero of the Battle for the Citadel, honored for her numerous diplomatic achievements, noted as a peacemaker and advocate, a natural-born leader who held the unwavering loyalty of those who served with her...

Jane always blushed when people started talking about her like that!

As far as Shepard was concerned, she was just another soldier, simply doing her duty- only her duties often put her in positions where she affected galactic matters! Personally, she didn't see herself as being anything special- just the right person, who just _happened_ to be in the right place at the right time- able to make the most difference when it counted.

Furthermore, Shepard hardly thought of herself as anything like a diplomat- she was a career soldier, an Alliance Marine, trained to handle problems with the business end of a rifle. Being a graduate of the N7 program, and later a Council Spectre had only served to make things more problematic, given that she was now expected- even encouraged- to play fast and loose with galactic law.

She'd fumbled her way through a number of conflicts in which she had to deal with opposing factions, both on the battlefield and across the proverbial/literal table. And while Shepard tried to see the myriad shades of gray that often colored these conflicts she had been thrown into, her basic reasoning usually came to rather simple logic in the end...

At the end of the day, when everything was said and done, Humanity had taken it's place in the stars, and become part of something bigger- the Galactic Community. And if she'd learned anything from all the centuries-old adventure serials and reruns of Doctor Who... It was that an individual's worth was measured by their willingness to go forth and try to make a difference. Otherwise, if not, she didn't deserve any of the titles and accolades bestowed upon her, let alone her uniform.

Since retaking Earth from the Reapers- when she'd rejected the Catalyst AI's terms and defiantly told it to piss off and go to hell- then turned the Crucible _on_ the Reapers, and _only_ the Reapers, for she'd seen the fatal paradox that it had tried to obfuscate from her with its endless speeches. The Reapers desired order, but the "order" that they imposed was founded on flawed logic.

They engineered the cycles to control the development of life and prevent conflict between organic and synthetic life... Without realizing that they- _as the instigators_- were the route cause of any conflicts that occurred during these cycles. In est, the cycles had become their own justification.

Far too many had died already- her friends included- for Shepard to be taken in by the circular logic of some machine that only now, faced with possible defeat, deemed to finally reveal itself. Especially not when the "choices" it offered so brazenly went against what everyone had fought and died for...

What the thing had failed to understand was the she was no one's puppet! She was a living being, with a mind of her own and free will! Shepard was not about to just accede to the arbitrary demands of some nebulous entity with a god complex simply because it told her to. Frankly, the whole song and dance it put forth had failed to impress her, nor was she frightened by impotent threats of extermination when faced with her open defiance to its demands.

Even in her battered and bloodied state, she realized that the Catalyst had no power over her, the truth was that _she_ who had power over _it- _regardless of what the "child" had told her_._ And so, Shepard chose to blow the Reapers to hell- _and only the Reapers_- because as a human, she wasn't hidebound to logic like the limited machines she and her allies were fighting!

**. . . …o.o.o... . . .**

The SSV Normandy was docked in Las Angeles for repairs, with its crew currently out on extended shore-leave while the relays were being repaired. Ironically, in the process of stealing the Citadel and bringing it to Earth, the Illusive man had helped ensure the survival of the dextro-based races.

At the moment, there were nearly a hundred thousand aliens, aboard various ships, around the Citadel and the Sol Relay, as both underwent repairs. There were also a few thousand aliens- including medics, engineers, and peacekeepers- currently planet-side. Among them, were some of Shepard's friends and crew mates, now filling various roles in the aftermath.

Because of its newly-acquired cultural significance, it was likely that a number of the other races were eager to set up permanent embassies. This was one of the reasons why Garrus, Tali, Liara, Kirrahe and others had opted to remain planet-side for the foreseeable future. After decades of human progress, it had taken a catastrophic galactic war to out humanity's potential.

It would still be some time before the Sol Relay was operational, though the current projections were cautiously optimistic. Since the pulse from the Catalyst originated from the Local System, the level of damage to the mass relays was seemingly in inverse proportion to its proximity, meaning that the relay gates in Council Space were the most in need of repairs.

Presently, Shepard was in one of the offices of the Alliance's LA Base. For the moment, she was living in one of the unused officer's quarters. Jane Shepard, or "Captain Shepard", as she was now commonly referred to, having been promoted after the war... Just over a month before she announced her plans to retire from active duty within a year's time. No one could begrudge her choice, given that she'd gone through more in three and a half years than most Commanders experienced in a decade.

She paused to look at the data pad in her hand, her body framed by the sunlight pouring through slatted blinds covering the window. Shepard was currently wearing her navy blue officer uniform. Her jacket, with the recently added captain's gold bar on the shoulder epaulettes, like a small cloak... Given that her left shoulder and arm were still too sore to try and insert it into the crisp sleeve. She paused, lowering the pad briefly, as she considered her current state.

Her battered N7 dog tags hung around her neck, over her gray military undershirt, concealing the still-healing skin grafts she'd undergone- the latest batch after her skin had been badly burned by the searing metal of her damaged armor (compliments of a laser blast from a Reaper). Fresh bandages were visible on her neck, arms and hands, with the ones on her thighs hidden by her trousers.

Thankfully, her soft and muscle tissue hadn't taken too much damage, and her face had come through will only a scrapes, cuts, and bruises. She was no stranger to scars, she had a half-dozen or so prior to being 'blown up' with the first Normandy. For whatever reason, Miranda- _bless her_- had chosen not to include her battle scars when _rebuilding_ her. Ironically, after she healed up, she'd probably have a few more scars then her old "tally" from her N7 days...

Still, she couldn't help but smile, thinking back to what Garrus had said to her while she was bedridden, recovering in the hospital- _"Look on the bright side, Jane, now we're a matched set."_ Shepard failed to suppress a blush, thinking about how she liked his scars... In fact, she was pretty sure the Turian would be attracted to her battle scars- and would probably enjoy 'discovering' them.

Shepard was eager to talk with Garrus, especially since she'd recently gotten a particular message forwarded to her, via her omni-tool...

_Dear Jane,_

_The Alliance Brass is keeping me busy since we retook earth, mainly overseeing the rebuilding efforts in the South Pacific. For whatever reason, those "Reapers" (that's the name, right?) never got around to blowing up the Okanawa Base. Still, I'd be lost without the universal translators!_

_Well, anyway, that's enough about my problems. I got a message from Hackett, saying they're rotating in some new young Alliance bucks. I'm getting some time off soon, and I figured this would be a good a chance for us to finally catch up. Considering everything that's been happening to this planet and the galaxy, I'm sure you must have a lot that you want to talk about._

_I'll relay the coordinates to you when we touch down in LA. Can't wait to see you, especially since I heard some interesting rumors that my career soldier daughter is seeing someone!_

_See you soon._

_-Mom._

_PS. Be sure to bring your boyfriend along too, I can't wait to meet this man who finally managed to tie down my famous daughter._

Shepard sighed, setting the data pad down on the desk. She plopped herself into the chair, closed her eyes and exhaled. Her Mom- Rear Admiral Hanna Shepard- wanted to meet her boyfriend...

Jane knew this was inevitable, it was a foregone conclusion- since they'd committed to each other and their future together- that she would eventually introduce Garrus to her mother. Well, provided that they survived the whole _Reapers Harvesting the Galaxy_ mess. She was pretty sure that her mom wouldn't be all that shocked or upset that she was engaged to an alien- after all, she'd known full well that the girl she was rearing on star-ships was never going to be a _conventional_ woman.

The problem was that she had no idea _how_ on Earth she was going to broach the matter of her Turian fiance to her mother. Hell, the prospect of going to Palaven to be introduced to her future father-in-law and sister-in-law Solana were less intimidating at the moment. Shepard made a mental note to talk to Garrus about the matter, figuring he deserved some input in dealing with his future in-law.

**. . . ...o.o.o... . . .**

"If you think about it, Garrus, this really was inevitable." Shepard reasoned as she relaxed in the black leather armchair in her quarters. "Considering we're engaged, it was just a matter of finding the time to introduce you to my mom." She continued amiably. "The only thing that's actually changed now is that she'll be coming to us, instead of the other way around."

The Turian nodded. "Yes, you're right, Jane." Garrus replied. "I guess I'm really just nervous about the idea of meeting her..." He hesitated. "I mean, what if she doesn't like me?"

The redhead smiled almost nostalgically, recalling how similar his present uncertainty was to the way he'd behaved when they were first getting to know each other. Even before they were a couple Shepard knew that he was prone to lapses of insecurity and self-doubt... Not that she didn't find his bashfulness hopelessly endearing. To her, it had always been part of his charm.

"Garrus," Shepard began, getting to her feet. "This is my mother we're talking about, the woman who raised me, I don't think she'll object." She offered as she approached him. "If anything, she'll probably be more upset about the whole 'grandchildren' issue." She added jokingly, giving him a comforting smile as she reached up to brush a hand affectionately against his cheek.

His mandible twitched, and he seemed to relax a bit. A deep chuckle escaped his lips, the subtle shifts in the subharmonics of his voice were not lost on Jane, thanks to almost two years of having been in an intimate relationship with an alien with a flanging voice. He placed a taloned hand over hers, turning to meet her green eyes with his dark blue alien ones. She flashed him an inviting smile, prompting him to brush his other hand through her soft russet hair, running his slender digits through her collar-length hair, before caressing the pale skin of her cheek and jaw with his palm.

"You know," Garrus began with a knowing smile. "There's always adoption."

She chuckled softly. "Garrus," she began. "Come here, gimme a kiss." Shepard instructed him in a low voice, looking into his eyes. His hands moved to her waist, steadying her as she stood up the tips of her toes to meet him half-way as he leaned in- planting a kiss on his mouth. Garrus responded by opening his mouth and brushing his long tongue against her soft lips, earning a faint moan from the woman as her smaller tongue met his. After a moment, they parted and she looked into his eyes.

"She'll arrive some time tomorrow," Shepard continued. "Any way, out of curiosity, you've spoken with your dad and sister about the two of us, right?"

He nodded, his expression softening. "Yeah, I've been in communication with my father, he came out of retirement, and both of them are back on Palaven." Garrus replied, his tone all business again. "From what I read in the last message he sent me, I got the feeling that he and Solona are pretty eager to finally meet you." The Turian explained.

She nodded. "Well, then I'll probably need to get a new dress for the occasion..." Shepard mused with a thoughtful expression. "So, do Turian's expect an particular colors or styles for first meetings?"

**(- _End of Chapter 01_ -)**


	3. Chapter 02: The Shepards, Pt 2

**MASS EFFECT  
HOME AND FAMILY**

**Chapter 02:  
**_**"The Shepards, Pt 2"**_

After learning that Jane's mother, Rear Admiral Hanna Shepard, would be arriving to pay her daughter a visit, the human and the Turian set about figuring out the best way to break the news that the younger of the two Shepard women was engaged to an alien...

Ultimately, they decided to just come out with it. After all, Jane was confident that her mother wouldn't be upset by the news. But then, there were some fundamental differences between a person being open toward aliens and having your only child in a relationship with one. Again, as best as Jane could figure, her mother would likely be more upset by the prospect of not having any grandchildren.

Not that they hadn't considered the matter themselves... Jane and Garrus had casually talked about the prospect of adopting after they'd gotten married and settled down somewhere quiet. It was really just a matter of how many and what species. The two had half-jokingly, half-seriously entertained the idea of adopting a human and a Turian (and maybe a Krogan, after enough drinks had been imbibed).

Sadly, there was no lack of orphans from every race. The Alliance could help them by fast-tracking the process of adopting a young human boy or girl. And Palaven had been equally devastated, so there was no lack of parentless Turian children. After some thought, Jane secretly relished the idea of adopting a human and a Turian, and raising them totally as siblings- irregardless of species distinctions.

Shepard decided to bring the topic up, during one of their nights in, over drinks...

**. . . ...o.o.o... . . .**

Using her omni-tool, Jane Shepard skimmed through the holographic images of various bits of clothing and accessories. She knew that they'd be going to Palaven soon, and the trip- as well as the subsequent meeting with Garrus' sister, Solana, and the Elder Vakarian- was as good a reason as any for her to start shopping around for a new formal dress for the occasion.

"Hey, Garrus," Shepard began. "I'm looking at dresses... What do you think would be best for when we go to meet your family?" She asked without looking up from the omni-tool. "I mean, first meetings are really important, and I want to make a good impression on them."

"Hard to say," she heard him reply. "I guess... something flattering." Garrus offered her as he typed away at some document on his portable computer, at their dining room table. "Er," the Turian added, realizing that the human woman was giving him an incredulous look from the den. "That is, what I mean is... Turian female clothing is fundamentally different from what Terran females wear."

"Hmm," this seemed to peek her interest. "Alright, go on..." Shepard added, the holographic interface flickering off as she let her right arm fall to her side. She was wearing a loose-fitting tank top and a pair of shorts- exposing the smooth flesh of her arms and legs, along with fresh bandages

Even as she was still recovering, with all the bandages, the Turian couldn't help but find the sight of her to be quite arresting- with her elegant softness and gentle curves. He had to admit, it hadn't taken long for him to get used to- _addicted_- to the soft, warmth the was characteristic of a human lover...

He closed the laptop. "Jane..." Garrus began. "Turian women don't have breasts, or hips and a waist like you have, to be considered when choosing clothing." He continued. "In the same way that you don't have a fringe or a crest, or any significant coloring or markings."

He paused, quietly watching as she entered the dining room, stopping only a few feet from to rest her hip against the lip of the table, propped up on one arm. "Regardless, your... um, curves are an obvious _asset_ in, er, presenting you." Garrus made a 'curving' gesture with his hands. "Plus, there's your hair, which is unique to your kind- and a rather lovely reddish orange color. And your eye color, green... Green's not a common color with my kind. So you're already striking by any Turian standard."

Shepard blushed faintly, then gave a slight chuckle. "Well," she began. "Thank goodness for these Irish genetics of mine, they're finally good for more than just giving me sun burns and freckles." She offered self-efacingly as as she rubbed the bridge of her nose thoughtfully.

Garrus's mandible shifted as he smiled. "I happen to like them Jane, they're cute." He offered, reclining slightly in his chair. "Good way of keeping track of where I am with you... and, while I'm _in_ you." The Turian added slyly, his voice low and silky smooth as he spoke the last part.

Jane scooted across the table, until she was before him, and leaned in. "You know, that _bedroom voice_ of yours really should be illegal." She remarked with a simmering gaze. "How about... We go continue this conversation in the bedroom, and you can _show_ me just how much you like them, hm?"

**. . . ...o.o.o... . . .**

Jane Shepard was quite a sight- decked out in her civies, with bandages on her arms and neck- as she waited in the large lobby, overlooking the landing area. From the observation deck on the second floor, she watched as the blue and white Alliance shuttles touched down on the landing pads.

Her injuries were still healing, so she was currently dressed in fairly loose fitting clothing. She wasn't in the mood to show off her legs at present- not with all the surgical bandages- so she was clad in a pair of light brown cargo pants and boots, along with an untucked white t-shirt and green vest. It took most of her will power to keep from scratching at the itches of her healing wounds, so she wasn't in much of a mood to 'clean up'- as she'd put it- on the rare occasions she'd had to wear formal or evening attire.

Normally, her Turian companion would have drawn the most attention. However, at the moment, the people around them were caught up in spotting _the_ Captain Shepard out of her uniform. As it was, they were either too surprised or simply too polite to approach her. She glanced at Garrus, unsure of how to gauge the effectiveness of Turian casual dress. It looked fine, like it usually did. But then, whenever he wasn't wearing his distinctive armor that she'd become so familiar with, it all just blurred together.

She made a note to herself to try and better remember how his non-combat related ensembles looked. Despite this, Shepard couldn't help but smirk, noting that he still wore his distinctive visor. She'd have to remember to also ask him about that- why he always wore the thing.

Not that it bothered her, really. Though, she did sometimes wonder if- through Garrus' tinkering- it had a setting that could see through her clothes...

Then again, it wasn't as if they weren't already _intimately_ acquainted with each other for nearly close to years now, and she rather doubted that there was _any_ part of her body that the Turian hadn't taken some time to explore at his leisure, at some point during their _many_ nights together... Not that she hadn't done a fair amount of _exploring_ of her own.

That was a given, seeing as how the whole thing was a 'first' for both of them. It wasn't like they were a pair of awkward teens fooling around. While they were both eager, the 'logistics' of the whole affair had taken a while to work out- to arrive at a point that was pleasant for both of them. As such, the first time had been... well, honestly, the best word to describe it was "clumsy". Still, they weren't going to allow something as trivial as a few scrapes and minor aches here and there discourage them. And once they'd worked out the finer points of the coupling, their efforts were rewarded!

There was something strangely compelling in all those harsh lines and sharp angles, combined with the armor-like plates and rough skin, and of course- the claws and spurs. Turian physiology had evolved to survive the solar radiation seeping through Palaven's weaker magnetic field. The circumstances of their planet had created an apex predator in the Turians- powerful yet elegant. It gave her a strange thrill to think that her lover- an alien creature that could effortless kill her- was content to lie in bed, 'spooning' her, in the aftermath of their coupling...

She felt a slight tremor course up her inner thighs, snapping her back to reality. She realized this line of thought wasn't helping her to stay focused on her present objective!

Composing herself, she tucked those thoughts in the 'for another time' file in her mind and returned to watching the landing area. Her mother's shuttle would be touching down any time now. And well, then the moment of truth would finally come... Honestly, the idea of _the moment_ didn't really trouble her, it was really just the experience of having to wait for it to finally happen.

As if sensing the unease bubbling inside her, Garrus silently moved to wrapped his hand around hers in a reassuring gesture. She turned to meet his blue-eyed gaze with her green, and the two of them shared a smile between them, before Shepard returned her focus to the shuttles...

The Turian smiled inwardly, mostly at the telltale blush she'd tried to hide, while she thought he wasn't looking her way. Before he'd met Shepard, Garrus had never harbored any kind of sexual interest in humanoids- either Humans or Asari- and had even told her as much. It was hard to explain in a meaningful way, but his attraction towards her wasn't the result of some fetish... No, when it came to her, there was just something unique to the woman- not as a human, but as Jane Shepard.

It had taken a little while to get used to all the... softness. By comparison, human flesh was surprisingly supple and smooth to the touch, and retained a pleasant warmth. Jane's body was all soft curves, and so very easy to get lost in... And the _warmth!_ Spirits, he'd become addicted to how hot and welcoming her body was when they... Garrus snapped back to reality when he felt her squeeze his hand, and composed himself, realizing that he'd nearly wondered into a dangerous line of thought- given where they were.

Not long after Shepard put and end to her more deviant line of though, her omni tool flickered to life with a chime as a swirling disc of amber-colored light formed over her right wrist. It projected a small display into the air, informing her that it had detected the Alliance shuttle carrying her mother by the vessel's transponder frequency, meaning that she'd be arriving any time now.

_"Jane, over here."_

They both to see a woman, standing just past the reception desk. Garrus discreetly observed the small measure of uncertainty in Shepard's otherwise pleased expression. She moved to greet the woman, with the Turian following just a step behind her.

Her mother smiled as Shepard approached her, seemingly not yet registering his presence. As he drew closer, Garrus could make out more of her appearance... She was slightly shorter than her daughter, but with the same fair-skinned complexion, except for usual variations present in older human- small lines forming at the edges of her eyes and the corners of her mouth, and scattered streak of gray set amidst her light brown hair (held in a bun in the back). Aside from the different hair color, her eyes were dark brown, as opposed to Jane's striking green ones. He guessed that the hair and eyes were inherited from her father. Still, he noted that the Jane had the same nose and cheekbones as the older woman.

Shepard hugged her mother, exchanging greetings in the process. Then, the elder Shepard briefly began to fret over her daughter's injuries. As he'd learned, humans were much more concerned with damage to their external tissue- hence the emphasis placed on armor, as they lacked the natural external protection of Turians and Krogans, and were therefor more prone to scarring.

Finally, his presence seemed to register with the woman, as she turned away from her daughter to look at the Turian- as what Garrus guessed was mild confusion played across her features- before she turned back to her daughter, an expectant look on her face now.

Calmly, Shepard took a breath. "Mom," she began, exhaling. "Remember how you mentioned in your message that you wanted to meet my boyfriend?" She continued. "Well, Mom, here he is."

Taking his cue, he stepped forward to greet her. "Hello, Mrs. Shepard, my name Garrus Vakarian," he began as he introduced himself, giving his best smile. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you." He finished, offering her his hand. "The Hierarchy places great value on military lineage, so it's an honor the meet the mother of such a distinguished soldier and leader as your daughter.

Mrs. Shepard became silent, and Jane seemed to pale slightly, while her mother looked him over for a moment, an unreadable look on her face...

"My goodness," she began. "But aren't you a tall one!"

**(- _End of Chapter 02_ -)**


End file.
